Evaluating the Credibility of Statements Given by Persons with Intellectual Disability
Supporting Agencies
- Fundación Mapfre
- FIRAH
Abstract
The objective of this study was to analyze the features that distinguish statements given by actual and simulated victims with mild to moderate intellectual disability, using the credibility analysis procedure known as Reality Monitoring (RM). Two evaluators trained in credibility analysis procedures using content criteria evaluated 13 true statements and 16 false statements. The results obtained show that there is little difference between the two types of statements when analyzed on the basis of content criteria using the RM procedure. The only criteria that proved to be significant for discriminating between the two types of statements were the amount of details and the length of spontaneous statements obtained through free recall. None of the phenomenological characteristics studied turned out to be significant for discriminating between actual and simulated victims. Graphic representation using high-dimensional visualization (HDV) with all criteria taken into consideration shows that the two types of statements are quite heterogeneous. Cluster analysis can group cases with a 68.75% chance of accuracyDownloads
References
Bailey, Jr., D. B., Roberts, J. E., Hooper, S. R., Hatton, D. D., Mirrett, P. L., Roberts, J. E. & Schaaf, J. M. (2004). Research on fragile X syndrome and autism: implications for the study of genes, environments and developmental language disorders. In M. L. Rice & S.F. Warren (Eds), Developmental language disorders: From phenotypes to etiologies (pp.121-150), Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.
Bekerian, D. A., & Dennett, J. L. (1992). The truth in content analyses of a child’s testimony. In F. Lösel, D. Bender, & T. Bliesener (Eds.), Psychology and Law. International Perspectives (pp. 335-344). Berlin: W de Gruyter.
Bensi, L., Gambetti, E., Nori, R., & Giusberti, F. (2009). Discerning truth from deception: The sincere witness profile. The European Journal of Psychology Applied to Legal Context, 1 (1), 101-121. Retrieved from http://www.usc.es/sepjf/images/documentos/volume_1/Bensi.pdf
Bottoms, B. L., Nysse-Carris, K. L., Harris, T., & Tyda, K. (2003). Juror’s perceptions of adolescent sexual assault victims who have intellectual disabilities. Law and Human Behavior, 27, 205-227. doi:10.1023/A:1022551314668
Buja A., Swayne D. F., Littman M., Dean N., Hofmann H., & Chen L. (2008). Data Visualization with Multidimensional Scaling. Journal of Computational and Graphical Statistics, 17 (2), 444-472. doi:10.1198/106186008X318440
Campos, L., & Alonso-Quecuty, M. L. (1998). Knowledge of crime context: Improving the understanding of why the cognitive interview works. Memory, 6, 103-112. doi: 10.1080/741941602
Comblain, C., D'Argembeau, A., & Van der Linden, M. (2005). Phenomenal characteristics of autobiographical memories for emotional and neutral events in older and younger adults. Experimental Aging Research, 31 (2), 173-89. doi: 10.1080/03610730590915010
Dent, H. (1986). An experimental study of the effectiveness of different techniques of interviewing mentally handicapped child witnesses. British Journal of Clinical Psychology,25, 13-17. doi: 10.1111/j.2044-8260.1986.tb00666.x
Diges, M. (1995). Previous knowledge and delay in the recall of a filmed event. In G. Davies, S. M. A. Lloyd-Bostock, M. McMurran, & C. Wilson (Eds.), Psychology, law and criminal justice. International developments in research and practice (pp. 46-55). Berlin: W. de Gruyter.
Diges, M., Rubio, M. E., & Rodríguez, M.C. (1992). Eyewitness testimony and time of day. In F. Lösel, D. Bender, & T. Bliesener (Eds.), Psychology and Law. International Perspectives (pp. 317-320). Berlin: W de Gruyter.
Fletcher, R., Loschen, E., Stavrakaki, C., & First, M. (Eds.), (2007). Diagnostic Manual - Intellectual Disability (DM-ID): A Textbook of Diagnosis of Mental Disorders in Persons with Intellectual Disability. Kingston, NY: NADD Press.
González, J. L., Cendra, J., & Manzanero, A. L. (2013). Prevalence of disabled people involved in Spanish Civil Guard's police activity. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 34(11), 3781–3788. doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2013.08.003
Henkel, L. A., Franklin, N., & Johnson, M. K. (2000). Cross-modal source monitoring confusions between perceived and imagined events. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory and Cognition, 26 (2), 321-335. doi: 10.1037/0278-7393.26.2.321
Henry, L., Ridley, A., Perry, J., & Crane, L. (2011). Perceived credibility and eyewitness testimony of children with intellectual disabilities. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 55 (4), 385–391. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2788.2011.01383.x
Johnson, M. K. (1988). Reality Monitoring: An experimental phenomenological approach. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 117 (4), 390-394. doi: 10.1037/0096-3445.117.4.390
Johnson, M. K., Hashtroudi, S., & Lindsay, D. S. (1993). Source monitoring. Psychological Bulletin, 114, 3-28. doi: 10.1037/0033-2909.114.1.3
Johnson, M. K., Foley, M. A, Suengas, A. G., & Raye, C. L. (1988). Phenomenal characteristics of memories for perceived and imagined autobiographical events. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 117, 371-376. doi: 10.1037/0096-3445.117.4.371
Johnson, M. K., Kahan, T. L., & Raye, C. L. (1984). Dreams and reality monitoring. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 113 (3), 329-344. doi: 10.1037/0096-3445.113.3.329
Johnson, M. K., & Raye, C. (1981). Reality monitoring. Psychological Review, 88, 67-85. doi: 10.1037/0033-295X.88.1.67
Kebbell, M. R., & Wagstaff, G. F. (1997). Why do the police interview eyewitnesses? Interview objectives and the evaluation of eyewitness performance. Journal of Psychology, 131, 595-601. doi: 10.1080/00223989709603841
Landau, B., & Zukowsky, A. (2003). Objects, Motions and Paths: spatial language in children with Williams Syndrome. Developmental Neuropsychology, 23, 105-137. doi: 10.1080/87565641.2003.9651889
Lindsay, D. S., & Johnson, M. K. (1989). The eyewitness suggestibility effect and memory for source. Memory and Cognition, 17, 349-358. doi: 10.3758/BF03198473
Manzanero, A. L. (1994). Recuerdo de sucesos complejos: Efectos de la recuperación múltiple y la tarea de recuerdo en la memoria. (Recall of complex events: Effects of multiple retrieval and task on memory) Anuario de Psicología Jurídica/Annual Review of Legal Psychology, 4, 9-23. Retrieved from http://eprints.ucm.es/6175/1/Anuario_94.pdf
Manzanero, A. L. (2001). Procedimientos de evaluación de la credibilidad de las declaraciones de menores víctimas de agresiones sexuales. Revista de Psicopatología Clínica, Legal y Forense, 1(2), 51-71. Retrieved from http://eprints.ucm.es/6189/1/psicopatologia.pdf
Manzanero, A. L. (2006). Do perceptual and suggested accounts actually differ? Psychology in Spain, 10 (1), 52-65. Retrieved from http://eprints.ucm.es/11380/1/psychology_in_spain.pdf
Manzanero, A. L. (2009). Análisis de contenido de memorias autobiográficas falsas (Criteria content analysis of false autobiographical memories). Anuario de Psicología Jurídica/Annual Review of Legal Psychology, 19, 61-72. Retrieved from http://eprints.ucm.es/11019/1/falsas_memorias_imp.pdf
Manzanero, A. L., Contreras, M. J., Recio, M., Alemany, A., & Martorell, A. (2012). Effects of presentation format and instructions on the ability of people with intellectual disability to identify faces. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 33, 391-397. doi: 10.1016/j.ridd.2011.09.015
Manzanero, A. L., & Diges, M. (1995). Effects of preparation on internal and external memories. In G. Davies, S. M. A Lloyd-Bostock, M. McMurran, & C.Wilson (Eds.), Psychology, law and criminal justice. International developments in research and practice (pp. 56-63). Berlin: W. De Gruyter & Co. Retrieved from http://eprints.ucm.es/6174/1/oxford_95.pdf
Manzanero, A. L., El-Astal, S., & Aróztegui, J. (2009). Implication degree and delay on recall of events: An experimental and HDV study. The European Journal of Psychology Applied to Legal Context, 1 (2), 101-116. Retrieved from http://eprints.ucm.es/11383/1/Manzanero_et_al_2009.pdf
Manzanero, A. L., López, B., & Aróztegui, J. (submitted). Underlying processes behind false perspective production: an exploratory study.
Manzanero, A. L. & Muñoz, J. M. (2011). La prueba pericial psicológica sobre la credibilidad del testimonio: Reflexiones psico-legales. Madrid: SEPIN. Retrieved from http://eprints.ucm.es/12544/1/credibilidad_del_testimonio.pdf
Manzanero, A. L., Recio, M., Alemany, A., & Martorell, A. (2011). Identificación de personas y discapacidad intelectual. Anuario de Psicología Jurídica/Annual Review of Legal Psychology, 21, 41-48. doi: 10.5093/jr2011v21a4
Manzanero, A. L., Recio, M., Alemany, A., & Pérez-Castro, P. (2013). Factores emocionales en el análisis de credibilidad de las declaraciones de víctimas con discapacidad intelectual. Anuario de Psicología Jurídica, 23, 21-24..doi: 10.5093/aj2013a4
Masip, J., Sporer, S. L., Garrido, E., & Herrero, C. (2005). The detection of deception with the reality monitoring approach: a review of the empirical evidence. Psychology, Crime and Law, 11 (1), 99-122. doi: 10.1080/10683160410001726356
Peled, M., Iarocci, G., & Cannolly, D. A, (2004). Eyewitness testimony and perceived credibility of youth with mild intellectual disability. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 18(7), 669-703. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2788.2003.00559.x
Perlman, N. B., Ericson, K, I., Esses, V. M., & Isaacs, B. J. (1994). The developmentally handicapped witness. Law and Human Behaviour, 18, 171-187. doi: 10.1007/BF01499014
Porter, S., & Yuille, J. C. (1996). The language of deceit: an investigation of the verbal cues to deception in the interrogation context. Law and Human Behavior, 20, 443-458. doi: 10.1007/BF01498980
Rassin, E. (1999). Criteria-Based Content Analysis: The less scientific road to truth. Expert Evidence, 7, 265-278. doi: 10.1023/A:1016627527082
Recio, M., Alemany, A., & Manzanero, A. L. (2012). La figura del facilitador en la investigación policial y judicial con víctimas con discapacidad intelectual . Siglo Cero. Revista Española sobre Discapacidad Intelectual, 43(3), 54-68. Retrieved from http://eprints.ucm.es/16309/1/siglocero_2012.pdf
Sabsey, D. & Doe, T. (1991) Patterns of sexual abuse and assault. Sexuality and Disability, 9, 243-259. doi: 10.1007/BF01102395
Schooler, J., Gerhard, D., & Loftus, E. (1986). Qualities of unreal. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory and Cognition, 12, 171-181. doi: 10.1037/0278-7393.12.2.171
Sporer, S. L., & Sharman, S. J. (2006). Should I believe this? Reality monitoring of accounts of self-experienced and invented recent and distant autobiographical events. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 20, 837-854. doi: 10.1002/acp.1234
Steller, M. (1989). Recent developments in statement analysis. In J. C. Yuille (Ed.), Credibility assessment (pp. 135-154). Netherland: Kluwer Academic Publishers.
Steller, M., & Köehnken, G. (1989). Criteria-based statement analysis. In D. C. Raskin (Ed.), Psychological methods in criminal investigation and evidence (pp. 217-245). New York: Spinger.
Steyvers, M. (2002). Multidimensional scaling. In Encyclopedia of Cognitive Science. (pp. 1-7). London: MacMillan.
Stobbs, G., & Kebbell, M. (2003). Juror´s perception of witnesses with intellectual disabilities and influence of expert evidence. Journal of Appplied Research in Intellectual disabilities, 16, 107-114. doi: 10.1046/j.1468-3148.2003.00151.x
Strömwall, L. A., Bengtsson, L., Leander, L., & Granhag, P. A. (2004). Assessing children’s statements: The impact of a repeated Experience on CBCA and RM ratings. Applied Cognitive Psychology,18, 653–668. doi: 10.1002/acp.1021
Suengas, A. G., & Johnson, M. K. (1988). Qualitative effects of rehearsal on memories for perceived and imagined complex events. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 117 (4), 377-389. doi: 10.1037/0096-3445.117.4.377
Tharinger, D., Horton, C., Millea, S. (1990). Sexual abuse and exploitation of children and adults with mental retardation and other handicaps. Child abuse and Neglect,14, 301-312. doi: 10.1016/0145-2134(90)90002-B
Tversky, A. (1977). Features of similarity. Psychological Review, 84, 327-352. doi: 10.1037/0033-295X.84.4.327
Undeutsch, U. (1982). Statement reality analysis. In A. Trankell (Ed.), Reconstructing the past (pp. 27-56). Stockholm: Norstedt and Soners.
Valenti-Hein, D. C, & Schwartz, L. D. (1993). Witness competency in people with mental retardation: implications for prosecution of sexual abuse. Sexuality and Disability, 11, 287-294. doi: 10.1007/BF01102173
Vrij, A. (2005). Criteria-Based Content Analysis: A Qualitative Review of the First 37 Studies. Psychology, Public Policy, and Law, 11 (1), 3-41. doi: 10.1037/1076-8971.11.1.3
Vrij, A., Akehurst, L., Soukara, S., & Bull, R. (2004). Detecting deceit via analysis of verbal and nonverbal behaviour in children and adults. Human Communication Research, 30 (1), 8-41. doi: 10.1111/j.1468-2958.2004.tb00723.x
Vrij, A., Fisher, R., Mann, S., & Leal, S. (2006). Detecting deception by manipulating cognitive load. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 10, 141-142. doi: 10.1016/j.tics.2006.02.003
Vrij, A., & Heaven, S. (1999). Vocal and verbal indicators of deception as a function of lie complexity. Psychology, Crime, & Law, 5, 203-215. doi: 10.1080/10683169908401767
Wagenaar, W. A., Van Koppen, P. J. & Crombag, H. F. M. (1993). Anchored narratives: The psychology of criminal evidence. London: Harvester Press.
The works published in this journal are subject to the following terms:
1. The Publications Service of the University of Murcia (the publisher) retains the property rights (copyright) of published works, and encourages and enables the reuse of the same under the license specified in paragraph 2.
© Servicio de Publicaciones, Universidad de Murcia, 2022
2. The works are published in the online edition of the journal under a Creative Commons Reconocimiento-CompartirIgual 4.0 (legal text). You can copy, use, distribute, transmit and publicly display, provided that: i) you cite the author and the original source of publication (journal, editorial and URL of the work), ii) are not used for commercial purposes, iii ) mentions the existence and specifications of this license.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
3. Conditions of self-archiving. Is allowed and encouraged the authors to disseminate electronically pre-print versions (version before being evaluated and sent to the journal) and / or post-print (version reviewed and accepted for publication) of their works before publication, as it encourages its earliest circulation and diffusion and thus a possible increase in its citation and scope between the academic community. RoMEO Color: Green.